The present invention relates to an electrical socket, and more particularly, relates to an advanced zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket having an integrated horizontal cam lever for securing an electronic package and/or an integrated circuit (IC) chip onto a system board of a computer system.
Electrical sockets may be used to secure electronic packages and/or integrated circuit (IC) devices, for example, onto a system board (e.g., a motherboard or a printed circuit board xe2x80x9cPCBxe2x80x9d) of a computer system. These electrical sockets may be constructed for easy installation and replacement of electronic packages (e.g., electrical components) and/or integrated circuit (IC) devices, such as complex memory chips and advanced microprocessor chips. The electrical sockets may also be available in different sizes and configurations, including, for example, low-insertion force (LIF) sockets and zero-insertion force (ZIF) sockets.
Low-insertion force (LIF) sockets may be suitable for detachably securing traditional electronic packages and/or integrated circuit (IC) devices with low pin counts onto a system board of a computer system. However, zero-insertion force (ZIF) sockets are more desirable for advanced electronic packages and/or IC devices which have larger pin counts, since virtually no insertion force and removal force are required. For example, advanced microprocessor chips with high pin counts are typically installed in a zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket which is soldered directly to a system board of a computer system. The ZIF sockets are commonly used to secure advanced microprocessor chips onto a printed circuit board (PCB). This is because the advanced microprocessor chips may be accommodated without fear of damaging the chips or the electrical pins (connections) of the microprocessor chips which provide electrical contacts from the microprocessor chips to the system board.
Typically a ZIF socket may include an actuation lever which, when open, permits easy installation of an electronic package and/or an IC device such as a microprocessor chip into the socket. Subsequent closure of the lever may secure the microprocessor chip in place. A heat sink may be affixed on top of the microprocessor chip or pre-attached to the same microprocessor chip installed in the ZIF socket by mechanical means, such as a retainer clip, for dissipating the heat generated from the microprocessor chip. The heat sink may contain a thermally conductive heat spreader in a form of a flat plate, generally larger than the microprocessor chip, and a plurality of cooling (radiation) fins extending upwardly from the flat plate. A heat sink fan may then be utilized to increase thermal dissipation of the heat sink member and maintain the temperature of the electronic package and/or the IC device at an acceptable level.
However, most commonly available ZIF sockets require a significant overhead room for actuation in the vertical direction to secure an electronic package and/or an IC device onto a system board of a computer system. For those ZIF sockets that make use of common cam technology, special tools such as Allen wrenches carried by assembly personnel are required to actuate or de-actuate the sockets. These special tools also require wide lateral space on the system board for operation, i.e., to actuate and thereby secure the sockets onto the system board or to de-actuate the sockets and thereby release the sockets from the system board of the computer system.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an advanced ZIF socket having an integrated cam lever for actuation/de-actuation without the use of an external tool and without the requirement of overhead room for operation.